Todd Wilcox hasn’t been around Florida politics for very long -- and he’s okay with that.
Getting into politics was never part of Wilcox’s plan. His life has been categorized in strictly non-politician jobs. Wilcox is a former Special Forces commander. He’s a CIA veteran-turned-businessman, not a career politician.
“This is not something that I aspired to do,” Wilcox told Sunshine State News about his decision to run for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s seat this year.
Running for office was never really at the top of Wilcox’s list of achievements -- until he said he saw the country headed in a dangerous direction.
Desperation and frustration are two things that propelled Wilcox to enter the hotly-contested Senate race last year.
“Seeing the Republican Party let us down in terms of oversight...and seeing this burden of a tax system as a wet blanket on people like myself [who] create jobs...are things that kind of motivated me [to run.]”
Wilcox jumped into the race to replace Rubio last summer and is one of five Republicans -- including Lieutenant Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and U.S. Rep. David Jolly -- who want to snag the highly coveted Senate seat later this year. Two Democrats -- U.S. Reps. Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson -- are also vying for the position.
Most of the candidates already have some experience in politics, but Wilcox isn’t scared off by anyone else’s resume.
He says one person, no matter what their experience, can make a difference in the American political scene. The best place for Wilcox to push through and break ground, he says, is in the Senate.
“I chose the Senate because it’s the place where I think I can apply my 27 years of real world experience as a part of this movement that’s sweeping across America and sweeping across Florida,” Wilcox told Sunshine State News.
That movement, he says, has spread, and America is tired of career politicians.
“It’s a movement fueled by a sense of fatigue of career politicians,” he said. “I saw the lineup of career politicians and insiders that got involved that want to run for this seat and why they want to run and what they lack in terms of bringing real world experience to the table, and frankly, I’m really concerned that we could lose this seat to Patrick Murphy [the presumptive nominee.]”
Wilcox says all of the other candidates are insiders to the process. Included in that category is Carlos Beruff, who has also tried to ride the outsider wave, which Wilcox called “laughable,” saying he wasn’t intimidated at all by his competitors.
Wilcox is serious about his campaign, but admitted fundraising has been a serious barrier to entry into the race since insiders have the market cornered.
To kick start his efforts, he funneled $1 million of his own money into his campaign.
If Wilcox gets elected to Senate, he said he would focus on national security and the economy to bring Americans together. Fighting ISIS would be a top priority for Wilcox, who says he would help rally an army of 200,000 Sunni Muslims to provide a ground force to destroy ISIS, with the U.S. government assisting fighters with intelligence and the tools they would need to fight ISIS members.
Wilcox also said he would reform the Federal Acquisition Regulation, where the U.S. government purchases goods and services by contract with appropriated funds.
Overall, Wilcox says he’s fighting for a better future for Floridians and for the American people, who he says might not have the same chances at success if the country falls into the wrong hands.
“I have three daughters,” Wilcox said. “I’d like to think that there’s going to be a place for them in America where they’re going to have the same opportunities I had.”
The Republican primary will take place on Aug. 30.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
